


Dinos and Fireworks

by mmouse15



Category: Transformers Generation One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 20:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13326081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmouse15/pseuds/mmouse15
Summary: The Dinobots are young and have never seen fireworks.





	Dinos and Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> For [dinogrrl](https://dinogrrl.dreamwidth.org/)

"Look! Dinosaur bones!"

Unbeknownst to Wheeljack, that was the start of one of the strangest periods of his life. When Optimus Prime asked him to create some heavy hitting warriors for the Autobots, Wheeljack used the bones of the dinosaurs found in the depths of Mt St Hilary. He crafted their forms carefully, but their processors...well, he and Ratchet did their best, but the supplies available to them were limited. Learning protocols were programmed in, but the speeds of the processors were much slower than Wheeljack was happy with. Nevertheless, he did what he could for these warriors, who were nicknamed the Dinobots.

The most difficult thing was getting all the Dinobots to work as a team, and by that, Wheeljack meant getting along for a sufficient length of time to get to the battlefield, where they were pointed at the Decepticons and the Autobots scattered out of the way. At any other time, Wheeljack was happy if most of the Dinobots were not fighting each other or anyone else, for that matter.

Take the current situation. It was past time for the Dinobots to be in recharge, and they were squabbling. Just as Wheeljack would get one or two of them settled, another would snap at his brothers and the whole group would be fighting amongst themselves in mere seconds. Wheeljack was at the end of his patience, and Ratchet laughing at him in the background was not helping.

Wheeljack finally got Sludge settled and glared so hard at Slag that he desisted from biting Grimlock and lowered his head. Wheeljack watched over them for a few minutes until he was sure the Dinobots were slumbering. Quietly, Wheeljack retreated and joined Ratchet, who offered him a cube of high grade. In deference to the young Dinobots, they communicated with their internal comms.

 _::More work than you expected?::_ Ratchet said.

Wheeljack nodded and replied, _::I never thought I'd have to teach younglings again, and ones that are in full growth bodies are tough!::_

Ratchet chuckled, low and quiet, and silently agreed, toasting Wheeljack with his own high grade.

The Dinobots grew mentally, slow but steady, tutored by Wheeljack and any other mech available. They learned to change into mech form and then to walk in that form, they learned to use weapons in mech form and to use their bodies in dinosaur mode. Grimlock came out as the leader of the group, but Sludge and Slag were willful enough to cause even Grimlock distress, and Wheeljack found himself the hapless father figure to a group of extremely powerful mechs with no sense of their own strength. They had a funny sense of vocabulary rules, but even the Autobot pranksters quickly learned that the Dinobots were not to be trifled with. Pranking one Dinobot meant having all five after the prankster, and even Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were cautious of the group's abilities to beat on someone.

However, the Dinobots had a youngling's appreciation of new things, and as it turned out, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had a knack for dealing with younglings. They had set something up and invited Wheeljack and the Dinobots out to the open area beyond the Ark. Large blankets were laid out, one for each Dinobot, and treats were laid on metal slabs, each plate identical to the others so there was no fighting over who got what. A special blanket was set aside for Wheeljack, and Sideswipe played maitre d'hotel, enumerating the various treats. It had been sunset when they set out, and throughout the following dusk, Sideswipe kept up a steady patter, keeping the Dinobots amused and occupied until a single beam of light clicked on about a mile away, sending a column of light into the sky.

Sideswipe clapped his hands together and said, "Gentlemechs, please turn your attention to the sky in front of you, where the light is. Following is a treat just for you! Sunny, hit it."

The beam of light disappeared, and a single flare of red light rose into the sky, arcing slightly until it reached its apex and exploded, sending brilliant scatters of lights away in an expanding sphere.

"Oooo!" Swoop exclaimed.

The first firework was quickly followed by a second, this time in blue, then a third. After the first few exclamations, the Dinobots fell silent as the fireworks show continued for the next half hour. Whoever was helping the twins put the show on had gone all out, with many kinds of fireworks exploding in the sky, some whistling, others mostly silent until they exploded. All the colors imaginable flashed in the sky, and Wheeljack smiled to himself as the Dinobots watched, enraptured, at the light show in the sky.

When the finale of a dozen fireworks exploded in a rapid succession and the sky fell dark, complaints arose from the Dinobots until Sideswipe spoke up.

"Thank you for attending our show. Any complaints about recharge means the complainer will not be invited to the next show. Please follow me back to the Ark!" Sideswipe dropped into his vehicle form, his headlights cutting through the dark and showing the way.

To Wheeljack's complete surprise, the Dinobots followed Sideswipe and quietly tucked themselves into a pile, dropping into recharge in the easiest bedtime Wheeljack had ever seen from them. Sunstreaker came in about ten minutes afterward, followed by Ratchet and Ironhide, each carrying some of the plates and blankets. They quietly deposited their loads and tiptoed out, leaving the Dinobots to sleep.

Wheeljack gratefully headed to his own recharge after leaving a couple of cubes of his best high grade in the twins' quarters. Any help raising his rambunctious younglings had to be properly appreciated, after all!

~fin


End file.
